Wake Up and Remember Me
by Reona
Summary: The brothers have an argument and Nosedive leaves to let off some steam but ends up losing much more. Will things ever return to normal? Complete. Deity Collection.


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I must make apologies to Windresss. The beginning of this story has been rewritten.

This is my first Mighty Ducks fanfic and I'm very pleased with it. As such, all mistakes are mine.

I do plan on writing a series for the Mighty Ducks but this story stands on its own. 

Thank you to all whom reviewed this story the first time around and I hope you all like the new beginning just as much.

Enjoy!

reona32@aol.com

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Reona

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Wake up and Remember Me

"Nosedive Flashblade! Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" yelled Wildwing to the retreating back of his little brother.

"Oh, is that what you're doing! And here I thought you were just yelling at me." retorted Nosedive. He didn't even turn toward his brother to yell at him as he stomped down the halls of the Pond. His objective was the ground garage where he could get one of the Duck Cycles and leave for a while. All he had to do was keep from losing his thin hold on his temper, something his brother had not accomplished it seemed.

"That was a stupid, stupid thing to do Nosedive! What were you thinking?" Nosedive didn't even reply to him. He knew exactly what he had been doing in the last battle. Saving their tails. "When are you going to grow up, Nosedive! Quit acting like a little kid!" Nosedive set his tongue between his beak and refused to speak as he walked through the door into the garage. The larger space made Wildwing's next words echo oddly. "Stars, sometimes I think that Canard was right and I should have left you on Puckworld!" As soon as the older duck said the words both brothers froze. Nosedive turned slowly and simply looked at him, eyes shining. "Dive, I…" Nosedive took one step back and then ran away from Wildwing. He was on a bike and out of the garage before Wildwing could say anything else. Wildwing turned numbly and saw that Duke and Mallory were standing in the hall behind him. Mallory simply walked away but Duke shook his head before leaving. "Oh Stars, what have I done?" whispered Wildwing. 

Nosedive forced himself to keep to the speed limit through the city, it was dark by then and heavy clouds blocked the moonlight. Nosedive knew that it would be wiser to return to the Pond because of the weather but just couldn't face his brother, not after what he said. Deep in his heart, Nosedive knew that what Wildwing had said was spoken out of worry and fear for him. It didn't make the words hurt any less or make it any easier to return home. 

Heavens, home. Could he ever see Puckworld as home again, with everything that happened during the invasion? Nosedive's vision blurred again and he raised one hand to wipe fiercely at his eyes. A sob broke through but Nosedive quickly pushed down the urge to cry. A few tears made their way down his face before he felt the first rain drops on his bare skin. "Great. Just prefect." he hissed. A heavy rain began and Nosedive seriously began to think about going back to the Pond and just locking himself in his room. Nosedive turned carefully into a set of gates and coasted down a blacktop road. 

Anaheim City Park was shrouded in darkness, made worse by the lack of moonlight and the rain. The path lamps cast dim pools of light onto the wet grass and the playground equipment was warped into sullen shapes, their bright colors dulled. Nosedive kicked down the Duck Cycle's stand and left the machine at the end of the parking lot. He kept his helmet on, hoping it would keep his wet hair out of his face. He sloshed through the puddles on the ground and headed for the playground. "Stupid idiot." hissed Nosedive at no one particular. He kicked up some soggy sand and hopped up onto a swing. Standing on the seat, Nosedive pushed the swing for a few moments before jumping down. He stuck his hands into his back pockets, ignoring the fact that he was now soaked, and started to walk toward the rock formation. 

Nosedive supposed the humans had placed the rock formation in the park but it served its purpose just the same. Rising into the sky for about 30 feet, the rock formation had many little crags and hiddy-holes where the children could climb and play. Nosedive climbed the rocks and sat on a wide platform, a place he had found a while ago and often came to when he was troubled. ::_left you on Puckworld!_:: Nosedive sat on the rock and hugged his knees, squeezing his eyes shut. The rain fell on the young duck and rolled over his beak in thin streams, the longer strands of his blond hair falling over his forehead. ::_Canard was right_:: Nosedive moaned, begging the voice in his head to shut up and buried his face against the tops of his knees. He didn't notice the flash of green behind him. 

Siege and Chameleon appeared on the rock behind the young duck. The two Saurians smiled to each other as the duck didn't look up. "Hey ducky! All alone?" asked Siege, a crooked smile on his face. 

Nosedive jerked to his feet with a gasp, turning swiftly to look behind him. "Sleazeoids!" sneered Nosedive as he saw the two Saurians behind him. 

Siege swung his large hammer like tail around. "Nice to see you too!" Nosedive dodged the strike, jumping to the opposite side. He tried to spin back to face the Saurians and felt one of his feet slid off the wet rock. His foot met thin air and, over balanced, he dropped over the edge with a yelp. Nosedive scrambled to catch the rock that rushed past his face but was unable to. Pain vibrated through is body as he hit the next ledge and then slid off to continue falling. Eventually, Nosedive fell into a crag that hid him from above and lay still in the mud and rain. 

Siege and Chameleon stood on the top of the rock as they watched Nosedive disappear. "Aw, and we didn't even get to kill him ourselves." complained Chameleon.

"Shut up, you idiot. At least it's done and we don't have to worry about the duck anymore." replied Siege as he turned away.

"Saurians Rock!" cried Chameleon with a giggle as they teleported away. 

Lightning flashed in the distance and thunder rumbled but then all was silent. 

The alarm of Drake One almost caused Wildwing to jump out of his feathers. It took him a moment to realize what was happening and then he was up and running from his room. "What is it?" demanded Wildwing as he made his way up the stairs to the platform the computer stood on. Everyone else was already there, well, except for Nosedive.

"Transporter energy." replied Tanya. They waited silently as Tanya searched for the source of the energy and saw her frown. "It's in the City Park. I don't understand. There's nothing out there but trees, space, and grass."

They all knew what that meant at the same second. That would be exactly where Nosedive would go and he was alone with the Saurians. Wildwing moaned, "Oh, no."

Wildwing didn't even look at the speed limits as they raced through the city in the Migrator. The others held on to their seats and their tongues at the mad pace. The Migrator screeched to a halt and the Ducks rushed through the Park to where Tanya said the teleportation energy had come from. Of course, there was no one in sight when they arrived at the designated spot. Wildwing wiped some water off of the Mask and turned in a crazy circle, looking around at the empty park. "Where is he?" he yelled. The rain was still coming down in sheets and it was hard to see. 

Duke found where Nosedive had left the Duck Cycle and carefully followed the wet footprints to the playground. He almost lost the young duck's path in the disturbed sand but managed to find where he had stopped at the swings. Looking up from the swing set, he narrowed his eyes at the rock formation. "Wildwing!" he called. The group turned toward him and he nodded to the rocks. "I think he's there." said Duke. 

"Nosedive!" yelled Wildwing, calling for his little brother as they moved toward the rocks. The duck swarmed over the rocks looking for their teammate in all the small spaces. 

Wildwing wiped at his eyes, annoyed at the rainwater and his own tears that blurred his vision as he searched for Nosedive. "Oh, Stars, please be okay." he muttered. 

"I have a fix on Nosedive's comm unit." said Tanya. Everyone looked at her to find her using a screen on her Omnitool. She wiped water from it impatiently. "He's somewhere in the rocks, alright." she said. A soft sigh swept the group as she confirmed that Nosedive was not in the Saurian's possession. Tanya began to scramble over the rocks, heading for the small dot on her screen. She stopped in a place where some rocks created a cavity and peered in. "I found him!" she cried. 

Wildwing was by her side in a second. "Nosedive!" he cried. The other duck lay on his side in the cavity, which was starting to fill with water. His clothes were torn and cuts across his body bleed slowly. His left foot was at an odd angle in the sand. 

Tanya ran a scanner over Nosedive's prone form. "He's got water in his lungs and I don't like the look of those ribs. But we need to get him out of the cavity before he drowns." she said. "Wildwing, move around here and slid your arms under his back. Try and support his torso." Tanya ordered. Quickly, the older duck moved and carefully reached down to slide his arms under Nosedive's shoulders. The others all watched anxiously as Tanya moved to get his legs. Looking up, she caught Wildwing's eyes. "I. 2. 3." Together, the two ducks lifted him out of the cavity. Immediately, Nosedive began to cough as his position changed. Wildwing got behind him as he was lowered to the ground and supported him in a reclining position. His worry increased as Nosedive coughed up drops of blood. Seeing his concern, Tanya shook her head. "It's all right, no internal damage. I think he just bit the inside of his cheek." She took off the helmet Nosedive wore and tossed it up to Duke.

The gray duck caught it as Tanya continued to check over Nosedive. "Damn." he said as he saw the huge dent and black mark on the helmet. 

"That thing probably saved his life." said Mallory. 

Tanya closed her Omnitool and stood. "All right, lift him and let's get out of here. He's probably got pneumonia already." she said.

Wildwing lifted his brother and walked back toward the Migrator. Duke raised the end of his trench coat and shielded Nosedive's face from the rain. 

The drive back to the Pond was done with all speed but as smoothly as Mallory could manage. Wildwing sat on the floor with Nosedive's head in his lap and Tanya sitting near by in case something went wrong. Wildwing bent close to his brother's ears and whispered to him softly. "I'm sorry. Please, wake up." 

Tanya rubbed at her eyes for a moment and replaced her glasses with a sigh. After getting Nosedive to the Infirmary and onto a biobed Tanya had begun the daunting task of helping the younger duck with his brother hovering over them. She finally had to have the others take Wildwing out to the Living Room so she could finish. Nosedive's ankle had been shattered and the feathers on the outside of his leg torn by some collision with the rocks. Two of his ribs were broken and a third cracked. He had jammed his right shoulder, broken his right wrist, and one of his fingers. He also had several cuts across his body, a few where she had to remove pieces of rock from the broken skin. But those things would heal; it was the head injury that worried her. It was quite bad, even with the helmet. There was no way for Tanya to tell how serious it was until Nosedive woke up. If Nosedive woke up. If Nosedive was still Nosedive when he woke up. There were so many things that could go wrong and…

"Tanya?" asked Duke from behind her.

Tanya jumped a little and turned toward him. "Yes, Duke?"

The old thief smiled tightly. "Why don't you go get some rest? You've had the most stress with patching Nosedive up." said Duke.

Tanya looked at the biobed that Nosedive lay upon with Wildwing sitting next to him holding his hand. She sighed. "Yeah, guess you're right Duke. Wake me if either of them so much as twitches." Duke nodded with a knowing look and Tanya walked out. Duke walked to the door and found Grin standing just outside. The two gray ducks looked at each other and walked out together. 

It came very softly in the stillness. "I'm sorry. Please, wake up."

Dawn found every duck in the Pond asleep. Wildwing had fallen asleep with his head resting against the wall, exhausted. The person on the bed stirred slightly and his eyes flickered. Slowly they opened and saw the dim ceiling above him. Nosedive blinked and let his eyes sweep around him, finally settling on the sleeping Wildwing. The blond duck stared at him for a moment. Then his eyes shut again and he slept once more.

A slight nudge on Wildwing's shoulder brought him instantly awake. "Wha?"

"Coffee, leader man." said Duke. He raised the mug higher to Wildwing's eye level. 

The white duck took the liquid gratefully. "Any change?" Wildwing asked as he took a sip. Nosedive still lay upon the bed seemingly unmoved.

"Doesn't look like it." answered Duke with a frown.

"Actually, yes there is a change." replied Tanya. She smiled slightly as she looked up from the computer screen. "It seems Nosedive woke up briefly last night."

Wildwing smiled and then frowned. "I wasn't awake." 

Mallory rolled her eyes. "You were exhausted last night, Wildwing. It doesn't matter if you were awake or not." she said.

Tanya nodded. "He was only awake for a moment, Wildwing. But the fact that he woke up so soon is a very good sign." she said. 

Wildwing nodded but the others didn't think he really heard them. Tanya took some more tests and the others drifted in and out of the Infirmary all throughout the day. It wasn't until almost dark when Nosedive stirred again. Wildwing had been reading a book next to his bed when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw Nosedive had his eyes open and was gently touching the bandage around his head with his uninjured hand. Quietly, Wildwing reached behind himself and pushed a button that would call Tanya and the others. "Hello, Nosedive." Wildwing said softly. Wildwing speaking made Nosedive look at him and lower his hand. His little brother looked at him with slightly glazed eyes. He coughed a bit and a look of pain came across his face as his ribs protested. "Want some water?" asked Wildwing. This produced a nod and Wildwing gently lifted Nosedive to drink some water. He lowered the younger duck and put down the water. "Better?" he asked. Nosedive nodded again and then looked over Wildwing's shoulder. Wildwing turned to find Mallory and Duke standing in the doorway with smiles on their faces. Tanya came running up behind them and almost plowed into their backs. 

The blond duck rushed over to the biobed. "How is he?" she asked.

"Looks okay." answered Wildwing.

Duke and Mallory walked up just as Grin came into the room. "Hey, kid." greeted Duke. He held up three fingers in front of Nosedive's face. "How many fingers?" 

Nosedive blinked at him. "Three." he answered in a slightly horse voice. 

Mallory raised an eyebrow at Duke and the older duck shrugged. "At least we know he can count." Duke said.

"To three." retorted Mallory.

A question from Nosedive made all of them stop and stare. "Who are you?" There was a moment of silence and then Wildwing's eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted on the floor. 

"Wildwing! Wildwing! Wake up, damn it!" A cup of water splashed into his face and Wildwing sat up. 

With a growl, Wildwing wiped the water from his eyes and stood. "Thanks a lot." he bit off at Duke.

Duke threw the empty cup into the trash. "Your welcome." 

"Water quenches the eternal thirst but there is no thirst to begin with." toned Grin. 

"Does he always talk like that?" asked Nosedive. Wildwing turned to find his little brother sitting up with the support of the bed and Tanya running a medical scanner down his arm. 

"Unfortunately." answered Tanya. 

Nosedive frowned a little at Grin. "Do any of you ever understand him?" He coughed a little and cleared his throat painfully.

"Not much." answered Mallory with a wane smile. 

The device Tanya was holding clicked and Nosedive looked down at it for a moment. Seeing that it wasn't important he looked at Wildwing. "And who are you?" he asked.

Wildwing's beak fell open and he just stared at him. "This is Wildwing. Your older brother." answered Duke.

Nosedive blinked. "Were our parents on something when they named us?"

Mallory snorted. "I always thought so." 

Tanya started talking before anyone could yell at the other female duck. "All right. Nosedive's ribs, leg, arm, and what not are all fine. However, he also has amnesia. Complete and total memory loose. He doesn't know any of us." she finished sadly. Tanya had feared something like this would happen. 

Nosedive tried to move his right arm but quickly found out that was a bad idea. "What happened to me?" he asked.

"You got into a fight with some rocks and lost." answered Duke. 

Nosedive laughed a little but quickly stopped that also. His eyes dropped some and Tanya began to lower the bed. "Why don't you get some more rest, Nosedive." she said. Nosedive nodded a little and closed his eyes. After a moment his breathing evened and they knew he was asleep again.

Wildwing lowered himself in a chair. "Tell me there is something you can do." he pleaded. 

Everyone looked at Tanya and she hunched her shoulders under their stare. "I'm sorry. But I can't force Nosedive's mind to work correctly or for him to remember all he has forgotten." she said. Everyone looked at the floor and Wildwing dropped his head into his hands. "His memory will either come back in pieces, all at once, or not at all. All we can do is encourage him and show him things that might trigger his memory to come back." 

"How are we going to do that, Tanya? We aren't even on the right planet now." retorted Mallory.

The blond duck shrugged. "We'll have to make do."

The group slowly left the room and the silent Wildwing. Tanya dimmed the lights so they wouldn't bother Nosedive while he slept. "I'm sorry. Please, wake up and remember me." whispered Wildwing. 

It was a little under a month before Nosedive's ankle healed enough for him to walk without aid. His right wrist was still in a soft cast but his shoulder and his finger had healed at the same rate as his ankle. They still bothered him a little but he was better. His memory, however, was not progressing at all. He hadn't remembered a thing. 

Wildwing watched as his little brother skated around on the ice in slow circles. Nosedive wobbled every once and a while because he went almost a mouth without practice, making Wildwing's heart jump each time, but he was all right so far. "Hey, boobial." cried Phil from behind Wildwing. The white duck jumped in surprise and then gasped as Nosedive wobbled on the ice. The young duck bent forward and swung his arms wildly for a moment but remained on his skates. Wildwing sighed in relief as Nosedive started off again and turned to the team's manager.

"Phil!" hissed Wildwing in anger. 

"Sorry, Wildwing, sorry. But have I got a deal for you!" exclaimed Phil. He tried to get the duck to look at a paper he held but Wildwing pushed his arm away. 

"No way, Phil. We're not doing any of your crazy stunts. Isn't it enough that you got the team to play the game tonight? " replied Wildwing.

"What does Phil want now?" asked Mallory as the rest of the team appeared from the locker room in full gear for practice.

"It's just a little opening party, guys. Nothing big." said Phil. "Come on, please?" 

"Well then…No. Nothing is little with you Phil. It will turn into a fiasco and everyone knows it." said Duke. 

"I am not dressing up." stated Grin.

Phil was about to talk some more when a voice behind him spoke. "May I see?" asked Nosedive. The human turned to find the young duck putting on the blade caps and walking off the ice. He smiled and handed Nosedive the paper as he sat down. Nosedive winced a little as he sat.

"Are you all right?" asked Wildwing in concern. 

His brother smiled at him and nodded. "Yes, just a little sore." Nosedive said. The others looked at each other, a little put off by Nosedive's more subdued behavior since the accident. The normal Nosedive would have complained loudly if he so much as stubbed a toe. 

"So, Nosedive, what does Phil want now? Jump off the building? Scale the building? Build the building?" asked Duke with a smirk.

Nosedive smiled at Duke's joke but continued to read the paper. "It's the reopening of the Anaheim Museum. Opening up again after a extensive remodeling." he said. Phil gave the ducks a look and they gained sheepish looks on their face. The Anaheim Museum had been a building they had ruined in a fight with Draganus once. "May we go?" asked Nosedive as he pushed back a strand of hair. 

The ducks exchanged looks with each other. They kind of had to now, it was only fair. And Wildwing couldn't deny his brother anything and they all knew it. "All right. We'll do it." said Wildwing.

"Yes!" exclaimed Phil. "We'll take a limo to the Museum and arrive in style. Then…" Phil walked off punching buttons on his cell phone. 

Nosedive blinked after him. "What an odd human." 

The stands of the Pond were filled and the fans screamed for the game to start. "Whoa! Listen to that noise people! The fans are wild tonight!" yelled the announcer from his booth. "After the mouth of absence The Mighty Ducks are back on the ice but one member short. Last mouth the right forward wing position Nosedive Flashblade was in an accident and can not play. Can The Mighty Ducks win this game one player short?" 

Nosedive closed the locker room door as the announcer continued to rant to the fans and turned to watch the others finish getting dressed. "Is he always like that? Are the fans always like that?" asked Nosedive. He was the only one not wearing their gear. He wore a jersey with The Mighty Ducks logo on it. 

Mallory snorted. "Sometimes they're worse. All of them." she answered.

Nosedive smiled a little and went to stand by Wildwing. "You must be really good for the fans to act like that." he said.

Wildwing winked at him before putting on the Mask. "The best, little bro." Nosedive followed behind as they team went out onto the ice. The crowd went wild as The Mighty Ducks stopped in the middle of the ring. 

"The ducks are back, my friends!" screamed the announcer. Wildwing turned and beckoned toward the stands. The fans watched as Nosedive skated out and met the team. The fans went up in a wild cheer as the team stood together on the ice. "It seems the team is showing support for their member! Whoa! Ducks Rock!" 

Nosedive blushed as he stood next to Wildwing. Camera flashes went off a mile a minute and the fans only got louder. Phil was jumping up and down by the locker room, thinking of all the publicity they were getting right now. A horn sounded and Wildwing hugged Nosedive before the younger duck skated off the ice to frantic cheers. The remaining ducks thrust their hockey sticks into the air. "Ducks Rock!" Near the wall Nosedive turned and looked at them. He blinked, shook his head, and stepped off the ice.

Nosedive and Phil watched the game from the team seats right on the ice. Phil paced back and forth in front of the wall during the game. "Relax Phil. They will win." The horn sounded as the ducks scored. "See." said Nosedive with a smile.

"Yeah. You're right, kid. No one can beat the ducks." said Phil with more confidence than he felt as he sat. Just then Duke checked one of the opposite team members into the wall in front of them. Both cried out in surprised and fell backward off the bench. 

"Sorry!" cried Duke. He looked over the wall with concern. "You both all right?" he asked.

Nosedive pointed at the ice ring from his spot on the floor. "Duke, Puck, Go, Now." Duke saluted and skated off. Nosedive pushed himself up and groaned. "Ow." 

"Are you really all right, Nosedive?" asked Phil. 

The duck nodded. "Yes, just a new bruise." answered Nosedive with a sigh. 

The horn sounded again. "The ducks win! The ducks win! In their first game in mouth the ducks win!" screamed the announcer. 

Nosedive stood as the fans went wild and smiled as he saw the team once again thrust their sticks into the air. "Ducks Rock!"

Nosedive blinked as a camera went off close to his face. "Hey! Watch it!" said Wildwing as he pushed the cameraman away. The team was out in the hallway of the Pond with the fans signing autographs and the such. 

"Mr. Flashblade! How do you feel?" asked a reporter.

Nosedive smiled as the reporter put the microphone to his beak. "I'm fine, thank you." he replied. 

"And your memory?" 

Nosedive shook his head. "No, I still don't remember anything. But the others are helping me along the way and I'm sure I'll be able to remember something soon." Phil rubbed his hands at the perfectly gentile answer. Another camera went off.

The reporter was about to asked something else when a slight tugging on Nosedive's pants caused him to look down. "Mr. Nosedive, sir?" said a small girl.

Nosedive knelt down on the floor carefully to look at her on the same eye level. She had brown hair and blue eyes and wore a pink jump suit. "Yes, sweetheart?" he asked. 

She lifted up a teddy bear that had a velvet red rose attached to its paw. "I wanted you to have this Mr. Nosedive and to tell you that I hope you get you memory back real soon." she said.

Nosedive took the bear with smile. "Thank you very much. It's a lovely bear. What's your name?" he asked.

"Katie." replied the girl.

"Well, Katie. I want you to know that I will cherish this bear and it will help me a great deal for you to think about me." said Nosedive. The girl smiled and an adult human lifted her up. With a little difficulty Nosedive stood also. 

Katie waved at him. "Bye bye, Mr. Nosedive." Nosedive waved back at her as she left. 

Another person caught his attention and he signed the paper a teen asked him to autograph. Several more people gave him things. After several boxes of chocolate Nosedive laughed. "What are you trying to do? Make me fat?" The group around them laughed also.

Duke took a box from the pile and grinned. "I'll help you eat this." he said with a smile. 

Mallory pulled the box out of his hand. "Oh, chocolate covered cherries! Dibs!"

"You'll have to ask Nosedive you two. They are his." said Wildwing.

Mallory and Duke looked at each other and then at Nosedive. "Please, Nosedive." they said together. 

Nosedive blinked. "Um, help yourself. I think." He smiled as a teen girl handed him a bunch of roses and blushed at her look. "Thank you." Another camera went off from the fans. Nosedive stepped nearer to Wildwing. The older duck noticed and looked at his little brother in concern. "May we leave, Wildwing? I don't feel well right now." asked Nosedive.

Wildwing nodded. "All right, that's it for now." he called.

Phil gasped. "What? But there are more people to meet and more autographs to give and…"

Wildwing centered his eyes on the human and repeated himself. "That's it for now." He put an arm around Nosedive's shoulders and led him through the crowd back to the locker room with the others following. 

"You okay, kid?" asked Duke when they were all in the elevator going down. 

"I feel faint and my head hurts." answered Nosedive.

Tanya frowned. "Water, food, and rest. In that order." she said. 

"You going to be able to go to the party tomorrow, Nosedive?" asked Wildwing with worry.

"I believe so, Wildwing." They walked out of the elevator and into the kitchen. Nosedive sat and was given some water. Tanya made some soup and then sent Nosedive off to bed. 

"I'm sorry. Please, wake up and remember me."

Draganus threw a robot across the room and into the wall of the Raptor in anger. "You said he was dead!" he yelled.

Siege and Chameleon cringed. "We were sure he was." said Siege.

"Sure! Sure!" yelled Draganus. He snatched up a newspaper and thrust it into their faces. On the front page was a picture of the ducks on the ice with Nosedive. "Then what do you make of this!" Smoke came from his nostrils.

"Sorry, boss." squeaked Chameleon. 

Draganus roared and threw another robot. The newspaper floated through the air and Wraith caught it. On the second half of the front page was a picture of the Anaheim Museum. "My lord, I believe I have a plan." said Wraith with a thin smile. 

Nosedive walked through the Kitchen door into the Living Room with a vase of lilies. Tanya followed him with a vase of gladiolas. Nosedive set the vase he held down on the coffee table and Tanya sat hers on an end table. "There." said Nosedive. "That's the last of the flowers." He sighed and sat on the couch.

Duke raised his eyebrow and snickered. "The florists must really love you right now, Nosedive." he said.

"You're more profitable than Valentines Day." added Mallory. 

"I wonder where all the fans got this stuff. I can't even begin to count the stuffed animals and all of the candy gives me a stomach ached just thinking about it." said Nosedive. Duke stared at him. Nosedive caught his look and frowned. "What?"

"Nothing." said Duke quickly. 

Nosedive sighed again as Grin walked in with an open container of some sort of candy. "What's that?" he asked.

"Gummie Bears." answered the large duck. Grin set the container in Nosedive lap and the younger duck took one.

Nosedive handed it back to Grin and waved him away. "Take it away before I eat all of it." he said.

"Nosedive not eating candy? Is the world ending?" joked Wildwing from behind him. 

"What is with all of you and me not eating all the candy! I'm sorry, all right! Sorry I don't know how to act and that I don't remember anything! I'm sorry!" yelled Nosedive suddenly. He ran from the room with a sob.

Everyone moved to go after him but Wildwing held up his hand. "No. I'll go." The team sat back down as Wildwing went after his brother.

It took Wildwing a few minutes of searching but he found Nosedive in a dim hallway crying softly. He sat beside the younger duck and waited for Nosedive to speak. Nosedive cried for several minutes into his knees. Finally he lifted his head and wiped at his eyes. "Who are you? Who am I?" he asked.

Wildwing knew that those questions were rhetorical but answered anyway. "Only you know who you are and what I am to you." he said.

Nosedive frowned at him in the low light. "I was told you were my brother." he said.

"I am." replied Wildwing.

Nosedive blinked at him. "You've been around Grin for way too long." 

Wildwing chuckled. "Maybe."

Nosedive sat for a moment. "Why won't you tell me anything?" he asked.

Wildwing frowned. "We tell you everything." 

Nosedive shook his head. "Only what you think won't upset me." He looked at him. "Why are we the only Ducks on Earth? What does that really big computer Tanya is always at really do? How come this place is built like a fortress and why are we armed to the teeth? Why do you keep looking at me funny when you think I'm not watching? I didn't just have an accident, did I?" Wildwing cast his gaze away and Nosedive touched his cheek. Nosedive turned Wildwing's head back to face him. "Why won't you answer me?" Nosedive whispered. 

"I'm afraid." answered Wildwing softly.

"Of what?" asked Nosedive quietly.

"Everything out there." Wildwing closed his eyes.

Nosedive ran his fingers across Wildwing's temple. "Look at me." Wildwing reluctantly opened his eyes again. "We are not out there. I do not even remember out there. But I will gladly step out into it if I could remember you, if I could remember anything."

Wildwing watched his brother's eyes and saw only calm. "When did you become so grown up and wise?" he whispered.

Nosedive smiled. "Maybe I've always been like this and you just never saw." Wildwing pulled his little brother into a hug and started to talk. 

Mallory walked into the Living Room wearing a long red dress and sash. "Whoa, sweetheart! Hot to the touch there." exclaimed Duke. 

Mallory posed with a grin on her face. "I do look good, don't I?" Tanya walked in wearing a lavender dress and jacket. 

"Another babe! We're just swimming in them tonight!" said Duke. 

Tanya blushed at Duke's words. "You look very nice yourself, Duke." she said.

Duke wore black pants and a black jacket over a white shirt. A dark maroon cummerbund circled his waist. He flipped up the collar of jacket and smirked. "Yeah, I am so cool." he agreed.

"Get any cooler and we'll put you in the freezer." said Wildwing as he joined them. He wore a complete tuxedo with tie and red cummerbund. Beside him, Nosedive wore the same with a dark blue cummerbund. The younger duck pulled at his collar in annoyance. Grin walked in wearing a black shirt with white embroidering around the collar and down the front. "Very nice, Grin. Much better than the suit Phil picked out." said Wildwing.

"Nosedive helped me pick it out. This does not cloud my aura." said Grin.

Wildwing turned to Nosedive and the young duck dropped his hand quickly. "You helped him pick that out?" he asked. He reached out and fixed the tie around Nosedive's neck.

"Yes, I thought it looked better on him rather than the suit. His aura seems to like it too." answered Nosedive as he stood still. Wildwing turned away and Nosedive started tugging on his collar again. "Does this have to be so tight?" he asked.

Duke walked over and took it off. "Choke the poor boy why don't ya, Wildwing. Geez." He tossed the tie onto the table. "He looks better without it anyway." Duke flipped up Nosedive's jacket collar and smirked at Wildwing. 

Nosedive cocked any eyebrow and smoothed it back down. "Thank you, Duke." Wildwing smiled at Duke and the older duck snorted.

Phil walked in. "Bobbials! Are we ready? We are. Fine. Let's go!" he called. The team followed Phil out of the Pond and to a black Limo that was waiting outside. 

"Nice." said Duke as he climbed in. Everyone climbed in after him and took seats. Nosedive opened one of the panels next to him and found a little TV there. 

"Who's thirsty?" asked Mallory. She held up several cans of soda from the ice chest near her. Everyone shook their heads and Mallory put them back. 

"How long until we get to the Museum?" asked Nosedive.

"About 10 minutes or so." answered Tanya. She was busy typing on a computer she had found in the car.

"Great. Wherever she goes she finds a computer. I'm not surprised." said Duke. 

"All right. We get to the Museum and Wildwing cuts the red ribbon and all that. Then everyone goes inside, we socialize, we talk, we make deals. Eat, drink, be merry. They take us on a tour of the Museum and we fraternize some more. It's over by 10 at the latest. See, all fine." said Phil.

"For you." retorted Mallory.

"Oh, come on Mal. It will be fun." said Tanya. 

"We are here." said Grin, stopping any replies. 

The group looked out of the windows and saw the crowd around the Museum. The Anaheim Museum was made of gray stone and was long and very wide. It had three floors and a large balcony at the back over looking a water fountain and gardens. At the moment a large red ribbon stretched across the stairs of the Museum. "Make it look good, guys." said Phil as he opened the door. 

"Don't we always?" snickered Duke. Cameras began to go off as he climbed from the Limo. He waved and turned to help Mallory and then Tanya out. The two girls waved and smiled as Grin climbed from the Limo. Wildwing exited the car followed lastly by Nosedive. A cheer went up from the gathered people.

Nosedive waved and blushed again. "Please tell me they will eventually stop this." he said to those around him.

Duke chuckled next to him. "Not a chance." 

Nosedive sighed as they began to walk up the Museum stairs. They gathered behind the ribbon and Wildwing was given a large pair of scissors. The cameras flashed and recorded as Wildwing turned and pulled Nosedive forward. He handed him the scissors and nudged his little brother forward. Nosedive smiled nervously as the crowd clapped again and cut the ribbon. Nosedive stepped back and continued to smile. "You are evil." he hissed. 

"Yes, I am." replied Wildwing with a chuckle. 

The Curator of the Museum made a small speech. Followed by the Mayor making a small speech. You really couldn't make out who was who afterward. "So, who is the Curator and who is the Mayor again?" asked Nosedive softly as the group went into the Museum.

"Umm…" said Wildwing.

"The Curator is the man in the tailored blue suit and the Mayor is the man in the black waist coat." answered Tanya.

"Ah. They look like twins." said Nosedive. He hushed as they entered a large hall made of white and gray marble. The ceiling was three stories high and stairs went up to each level. At the center of the ceiling was a large chandelier with gold accents. "Impressive." muttered Nosedive. A human walked by in a white coat and handed Nosedive a champagne flute. He gave the others drinks and walked off with a polite smile. 

Wildwing took a sip of his drink and looked surprised. He glanced at the flute Nosedive held. "That had better not be champagne." he said.

Nosedive sniffed it and smiled. "No. Sprite." he replied.

"Good, someone around here was thinking." said Wildwing. 

"We don't give minors alcohol, Mr. Flashblade." said a slightly nasal voice behind them.

They turned to find a portly man in a tailored blue suit; the Curator. "Mr. Lewis." greeted Wildwing. "How nice to see you again. The opening is going well, isn't it."

"Yes." said Mr. Lewis with a sigh. "I suppose I should thank you for coming." He paused a moment. "The tour will start soon." The Curator turned on his heel and walked off.

Nosedive blinked. "Why do I get the feeling he doesn't like us?" he asked. Duke snorted and took a sip of his drink. "I'll pry the information from Wildwing later." said Nosedive with a sigh. 

Phil walked up. "Come on, the tour is starting. There will be reporters, so behave." he said.

"Don't we always behave, Phil?" said Mallory. 

"Don't make me answer that." retorted Phil. He motioned them to the right and they all joined a group of people gathering around the Curator. 

Several minutes past as the Curator took them through a tour. On the second floor they entered an area where many things from Indian tribes were being displayed. One such room was designated for the Aztec culture. Nosedive looked at a case of colorful jewelry as several reporters talked with Wildwing. He looked over his shoulder to make sure they were still in the room and then glanced around the displays. A large gold disk on the other side of the room caught his eye. Nosedive managed to walk over to it without anyone noticing. The disk was set on a pedestal with a glass case over it. 

The disk itself was made completely out of gold in the shape of the sun with curving rays around the edge. The center of the disk was decorated with precious gems in the likeness of a face. Jade eyes shone in the display case lights and white quartz was carved into teeth in a wide grin. Rubies were set around the edge and looked like flaming hair. Looking closely Nosedive found a small panel with writing on it. "The Spanish Conquistadors conquered the Aztec people for their gold and riches. The Conquistadors pillaged all of the temples in the Aztec main city, Tenochtitlán. This gold medallion shaped in the likeness of the sun however, was left atop the central temple after everything else was taken. It is still a mystery why the Conquistadors left the disk." muttered Nosedive, reading the panel. He looked at the disk again and smiled. "Maybe you were too high for them to get?" he said. 

"Nosedive." called Wildwing. Nosedive turned and saw his brother waiting at the arch to the next room. He hurried over to him and they rejoined the group. "Find something interesting?" asked Wildwing softly.

Nosedive smiled and shook his head. "Only a little weird." he said. The sun disk gleamed behind them. 

A firecracker flew into the sky and went off with a bang and burst of color. Nosedive watched the firecrackers avidly as they were set off from the garden. The party had finally come to the balcony at the back of the Museum and found several tables set up with food and drink. They were all surprised when firecrackers began to go off. Nosedive stood by the stone railing and watched them carefully, not having remembered ever seeing firecrackers before. 

Wildwing watched his brother from a distance with a small smile. "Brother watching?" asked Mallory to his side suddenly.

Wildwing shrugged as his answer. "He's not going to disappear, you know." said Tanya as she came up.

"He almost did." replied Wildwing softly. 

"He's a tough kid, Wildwing. He'll be okay." said Duke.

Wildwing looked around him and found all of the team there. "But he hasn't remembered anything yet. What if he never remembers me? Or any of us?" he said.

"That does not make him any less your brother or our friend." answered Grin. 

Wildwing smiled a little. "I just don't know anymore. He's so different and…" he trailed off with a frown.

"You can't apologize to someone who does not remember ever being wronged." said Duke with a knowing nod. 

Wildwing nodded and paused. "I told him about Draganus and Puckworld this morning." he said.

The team nodded a little. "We figured you had after he ran off." said Mallory.

"I'm wondering if I did the right thing. Telling him about it." said Wildwing.

"Just because it is bad does not give us the right not to tell him. It is a part of his past and has made him who he is. He had the right to know." replied Grin. Wild clapping and a burst of laugher they all recognized caused them to look up. A large set of fireworks was going off in the sky, lighting the night up with rainbow colors. The rest of the guests were clapping and Nosedive was laughing as he watched. It was the finest sound any of them had ever heard. 

Nosedive yawned as they climbed into the Limo. Wildwing took the tie off from around his neck and sighed. "I hate those things." he muttered. His little brother gave him an amused look.

Mallory pulled off her shoes and rubbed at her feet. "I never walked so much in my life." 

"You all did great, boobies. The PR on this will shoot sells through the roof." said Phil enthusiastically.

"It was rather fun." admitted Tanya. 

"Bite your tongue." replied Duke in a sour tone. He was glaring at a stain on his coat.

"Oh, relax. A little dry cleaning and that will come right out." said Mallory. 

"The stain is an illusion." toned Grin. 

Nosedive chuckled tiredly. "A very wet illusion." he said. He leaned against Wildwing and yawned again.

"Tired?" asked Wildwing with a smile.

"What gave you that idea?" replied Nosedive with a flip of his hand. "I'm rearing to go." He ended with another yawn. "Mostly. A little. Some. I'm exhausted. Take me home." The team laughed. 

"I wouldn't mind sleeping in tomorrow too." said Tanya. 

"A bath. A very long, very hot, bath." said Mallory as she stretched. 

"Coffee. Lots of it." added Duke.

Wildwing suddenly hushed them. They looked over and saw that Nosedive had fallen asleep against him. 

Tanya sighed softly. "He still gets tired easily." she told them. "He'll be fine in the morning." 

The Limo arrived at the Pond and the team exited. Phil quietly told them goodbye, par Wildwing's glare, and left. Wildwing lifted his brother and the team went into the Pond. Soft good nights were said as each duck went to his or her own room. 

Wildwing walked into his brother's room and placed him on the bed. He took a moment to blink at the clean room from the light through the open door and then pulled Nosedive's shoes off. He hung up the suit and dug through a chest of drawers for something to put his little brother in to sleep. After a moment he slowly pulled out one of his old jerseys. His eyes watered as he remembered Nosedive had often used them to sleep in. He wiped his eyes and pulled the shirt over Nosedive's head. His little brother stirred but only turned over. Wildwing brushed back his blond hair and left, wishing everyone a silent good night. 

Drake One went off at exactly midnight. 

Nosedive quickly sat up as a high pitched nose filled the Pond. He clamped his hands over his ears and kicked off the blanket covering his legs. He thought the world was ending before what Wildwing had told him caught up and he realized what it was. He grabbed a pair of jeans and quickly dressed. Nosedive pulled on his shoes hopping through his door and raced down the hallway. 

He was up the stairs to Drake One in enough time to hear Tanya tell them where the teleportation energy was coming from. "It's the Museum, guys." she said.

He looked at them and noticed they wore armor that he had never seen before but dismissed it for now. "I'm coming with you." he said.

Everyone turned toward him and Nosedive took an involuntary step back at seeing the Mask on Wildwing's face. Wildwing tore the Mask off and shook his head. "No way. You are staying here." he said.

Nosedive shook his head. "I am going, Wildwing. If you don't take me then I'll just follow you." he threatened.

"Wildwing." hissed Duke. "He can't."

"Let him come." stated Grin in his deep voice. "You know he will follow us if he has to." 

Wildwing closed his eyes and then opened them to look at Nosedive. "Promise me you'll stay in the Migrator." he demanded. 

Nosedive paused. "I can't do that." he answered sadly. 

The image on Drake One changed. "We have energy spikes." said Tanya.

"Wildwing, we need to go." stressed Mallory. 

Wildwing sighed and put the Mask back on. "Let's go." Everyone raced into the hanger, Nosedive with them. 

Nosedive sat in the seat next to Wildwing, who drove. He followed the others example and buckled his seat belt. As the engine started Nosedive gripped the edge of the control panel in front of him. "Are you sure about this?" asked Wildwing, hesitating.

"Yes." said Nosedive firmly. Wildwing sighed and gunned it out of the hanger. Nosedive clamped his eyes shut as the Migrator zipped through the tunnel and up onto the road. Only when they were on the streets did he open his eyes to look. 

They arrived at the Museum in less time than before to find the front doors blown apart. "Oh, not again." groaned Mallory.

"The Curator will really love us after this." muttered Duke. 

Wildwing stood and turned to his brother. "Please, stay here." he pleaded. Nosedive merely stared at him and said nothing. Wildwing hesitated and then hurried with the team out of the Migrator. The door shut behind them and they raced into the Museum, disappearing through the hole. 

"I can't do that." repeated Nosedive as he stood. A minute at the panel and Nosedive bypassed the lock on the door. He hurried up the stairs and paused at the ruined doors. Glass littered the ground and shone in the pale moonlight. Nosedive listened but couldn't hear anything. Slowly he made his way through the main hall and up the stairs to the second floor. He stopped at the top and listened some more. A faint noise pulled him down the hall and into a familiar room. Another chime sounded and Nosedive frowned as he walked carefully forward. 

The only light came through the large windows along the room and the Museum was cold without the heater on. Stone did not make for a good environment. Nosedive wished he had thought to grab a jacket before they left. He hugged his arms and listened again. Another chime brought him toward the sun disk he had seen earlier. He looked around and turned away from the disk. A chime swung him back around and he stared at the disk. He didn't see anything that could make the sound in the room or near the disk. Frowning, he lifted the case from the disk and picked it up. [_Hello_.]

Nosedive spun with a gasp and cast a frenzied look around for the voice he did not recognize. "Where are you?" he whispered.

[_Here_.] was his answer.

"Where?" repeated Nosedive. 

[_Here. Right here. You're holding me_.]

Nosedive held the disk out in front of him. "The disk?"

[_Well, I'm more in the disk. But that's beside the point_.] 

"Who are you?" asked Nosedive.

[_I am Tiló-qunokñ and I was the Guardian of Tenochtitlán. But please, call me Tiló_.] 

Nosedive blinked. "I must have gone insane." he said.

[_No, you're perfectly sane child. However, you are in danger_.] said Tiló.

"Well, well. Look what we have." said someone behind him.

Nosedive felt his skin crawl and spun to see four large lizards in the archway. He swallowed. "You must be Draganus." Nosedive said.

The red lizard laughed. "It's true then! You have lost your memory." 

[_Down_.] ordered Tiló. Nosedive dropped to the floor just as Siege fired a laser at him. It shattered the window behind him and glass flew everywhere. [_Run forward through the archway before you_.] said Tiló. Nosedive was up and through the archway before he could think. [_Keep going_.] Nosedive ran frantically through three rooms. [_To the right_.] Nosedive slid a little on the floor as he turned_. _[_Behind the statue and into the niche. Quiet now_.] Nosedive held his breath while the Saurians rushed through the room and out into the next one. Several minutes past and Nosedive kept perfectly still. [_All right. They're gone_.] said Tiló.

Nosedive slipped from behind the statue and knelt on the ground, clutching the disk to his chest with both arms. "Why did you help me?" asked Nosedive.

[_I have a strong desire for the disk you hold not to fall into Draganus' claws. If Wraith got a hold of its power he would be a lethal force indeed_.] answered Tiló. Nosedive stood and rubbed at his head. [_Are you all right?_] asked Tiló.

"Just a little light headed from all that running." answered Nosedive. 

[_Go through the archway to your right and through the next two rooms. There is a drinking fountain in the small corridor to the left there_.] Tiló told him. 

Nosedive followed the Guardian's instructions and found the fountain right where it should be. He took a drink of water and splashed some on his face, hoping he wouldn't faint. "Thank you." he told Tiló. Nosedive shivered as he looked around him. 

[_Cold_?] asked Tiló.

"A little. I should have taken a jacket or something." answered Nosedive.

[_Here. Let me help_.] The disk glowed for a moment and warmth spread through Nosedive's body.

"Thank you, Tiló." said Nosedive gratefully.

[_There is a chair around the corner if you wish to sit down_.] said Tiló.

Nosedive went through the archway to find an ornate chair with gold accents and red cushions. "I think this is part of the display, Tiló. I can't sit in it." said Nosedive.

[_I doubt Henry the Eighth will care, child. He's been dead for sometime now_.] answered Tiló with a chuckle. 

Nosedive blinked and sat. "Good point." he said. He set the disk in his lap. "What now?" 

[_Now, I help you get me out of the Museum and not end up being used by Draganus for mass destruction_.] said Tiló.

Nosedive leaned back in the chair and sighed. "Sounds good to me." he agreed.

After several minutes Tiló spoke again. [_You need to get up now, child. Draganus and company are near again_.]

Nosedive gasped. "How close?" he asked as he stood.

[_Not very but it's best to move now_.] answered Tiló. [_Through the other archway_.] Nosedive walked across the room and through the next archway. Tiló led him through several rooms until they came out at the top of the second level stairs again. [_We need to get to the balcony on the third floor_.] said Tiló. Nosedive nodded and head for the stairs. Suddenly, Tiló gasped in his mind. [_Run_!] Nosedive broke into a dash across the landing. A blast of laser fire burst through the place he was just standing and hit the painting on the wall. It sparked and caught fire, quickly setting the paintings around it a blaze too. Nosedive dove behind the corner and pressed himself against the wall. [_Your family is on the first level, child_.] Tiló informed him. 

Nosedive blinked in confusion by what Tiló meant when he heard Wildwing's voice. "Stop right there Draganus!"

Instinctively, Nosedive screamed. "Wildwing!"

"Nosedive?" yelled Wildwing, not seeing him but hearing him. Draganus roared in frustration. 

[_Now! Up the stairs, child_!] said Tiló. Nosedive threw himself forward and ran up the stairs. He coughed a smoke began to fill the air from the paintings, the whole wall was a fire now and quickly spreading. A laser shot passed closely to Nosedive's right and he fell onto the stairs. 

"Stop him! I want that disk!" yelled Draganus. 

"You leave him alone, Draganus." snarled Wildwing. Nosedive looked back over his shoulder and saw the team halfway up the first level stairs fighting Draganus on the second level side landing. Draganus had the upper hand because he was higher than the ducks. 

Siege aimed at Nosedive on the stairs and fired at him. Nosedive's eyes widened and he thrust himself forward awkwardly. The laser fire burnt the stairs where he once was. [_Keep going_!] urged Tiló. Nosedive got his feet under him and raced up the stairs. He ignored the next shot that went wide to his left. The fire caused a painting to fall from the wall and the burning mass landed on the stair in front of him. Nosedive gasped and almost fell backward on the stairs. Some force pushed him up right and the painting flew from the stairs, over his head, and into the middle of Draganus' group, burning the large lizard's tail. Draganus roared as Tiló spoke to Nosedive. [_Hurry child_!]

"Nosedive!" yelled Wildwing as Draganus raced up after his little brother. He was forced to stop and block an attack from Siege. 

Nosedive reached the landing and turned to look back. He saw Draganus coming up the stairs after him and gasped. "What now?" he cried.

[_Through the balcony doors and outside_.] answered Tiló. Nosedive turned toward the large windows behind him that led out to the balcony. Draganus fired at him and missed. The laser shattered the glass and Nosedive screamed, dancing back. [_Child_!] yelled Tiló. Nosedive threw himself through the open doorway and out onto the balcony. Another window shattered as Draganus roared and the fire raced up the stairs. [_Do you want to remember_?] asked Tiló in a frantic voice. 

Nosedive blinked as he ran toward the edge of the balcony, below the garden in the moonlight. [_Of course I do_.] he answered in his mind. Screaming could be heard from inside the Museum and sirens sounded in the night. 

[_Even if you remember something terrible_?] demanded Tiló.

[_I would gladly remember it all if I could remember my brother_.] answered Nosedive. 

[_Throw the disk into the air_!] ordered Tiló-qunokñ in a triumphant tone. Nosedive pulled back his arm and threw the sun disk into the air with all his might. It spun above him as something crashed heavily from inside the Museum. A bright golden light suddenly blinded everything. 

__

"I'm sorry. Please, wake up and remember me."

"Wildwing?"

"I'm sorry. Please, wake up and remember me."

"I forgive you."

Wildwing blinked away the glare from the sudden light and looked around in astonishment. Everything was back to normal. The fire was gone and the paintings were back in place. He turned and saw the front door on the ground level was whole again. Plus, Draganus, Siege, Wraith, and Chameleon were gone. Vanished. "What just happened?" asked Duke, sword out at the ready.

"Nosedive!" gasped Wildwing. Last time they had seen him he was running toward the balcony with Draganus after him. The team wasted no time in getting to the third level and found the windows also fixed. They ran outside and saw Nosedive lying on the floor of the balcony. "Nosedive!" yelled Wildwing again. 

The team ran over and Tanya quickly scanned him, recalling bad memories as she did so. She frowned at the screen of her Omnitool. "He's…fine." she said, a little bemused. Wildwing rolled his little brother over and cradled his head again. The young duck's face was peaceful and his breathing even. 

"What do you mean 'fine'?" asked Mallory.

"I mean there isn't even a scratch on him." answered Tanya. 

Nosedive's eyes fluttered at this moment and everyone grew quiet. "Nosedive?" questioned Wildwing softly, fearing the worst. 

His little brother's eyes opened and looked at him. Nosedive smiled softly and spoke. "I forgive you." he said. 

Wildwing blinked. "What?" he breathed.

"I forgive you for what you said that day almost a mouth ago. I know you'd never leave me on Puckworld." said Nosedive. He reached up and gently pulled the Mask from his brother's face. "I remember." Nosedive said into Wildwing's eyes. 

Tears gathered in Wildwing's eyes and he pulled Nosedive into a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it. I didn't..." he babbled.

Nosedive put his fingers on Wildwing's beak and the other duck stopped talking. "You already apologized for that Wildwing. And I said I forgive you." Nosedive let his hand fall and lay limply in his brother's arms, exhausted. 

"He's back to normal." said Grin happily. 

Mallory groaned. "He's back to normal." she repeated. "He's going to start putting Jell-O in my boots again." 

"He's not doing anything for a while." retorted Tanya. "Nosedive is exhausted." She eyed the blond duck. "This had better be one very good explanation." 

Nosedive chuckled weakly. "You won't believe me." he said. 

Wildwing smoothed back his brother's hair and lifted him. "All that can wait. First, we are all going back to the Pond and sleeping for a week." said Wildwing as he walked across the balcony.

"Amen to that." said Duke, rubbing his neck. 

Nosedive looked over his brother's shoulder at the rising sun. [_I know what you mean now, about the things I would remember_.] he thought.

[_Any regrets_?]

[_Never_.] answered Nosedive, closing his eyes. Another dawn shone across the Earth and the sun smiled. 


End file.
